Cavendish retained the race lead overall and spoke to the press after the race:

The sprint: “Gert [Steegmans] brought me to the last 500m. I tried to get on Greipel's wheel, but Sagan was already there. I started my sprint early, but someone always comes from behind so I tried to hold something back. Peter [Sagan] did really well.”

The hills: “Cannondale went hard on the climb and I lost of lot of positions but I was happy to hang on. We can take a lot of good stuff from today. The climb will decide Milan-Sanremo. But I can't win Milan Sanremo - I can't win Milan Sanremo (sic.).'

Stage winner Peter Sagan also spoke to the press:

Beating Cavendish: “I'm happy. It's the first time I've beaten Mark in my career, I think.”

The sprint: “There was a climb we rode hard and I think the sprinters felt it. In the final 500m Mark had no more lead-out men. I was on Greipel's wheel, Mark went shoulder to shoulder with me but he was sporting and dropped in behind. It was good for me, anyway, not for him.”

Milan-Sanremo: “With my lack of experience it's difficult to win a Monument but I hope I get there in good condition and I hope to steal one, if not Milano-Sanremo, then I'll try to win Wevelgem, or Flanders, or Amstel…”

International Woman's Day statementTo mark International Woman's Day, Cavendish delivered the following short statement from the podium: “Violence against women is unacceptable at any time. The time to end violence against women is now.”